Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-06-30
THECHIEF'S CHARGES
AssIsTkNT.ENGIERER snHAp An
swERs THEM III WRITING.
Mr.. Meredith Raises q Coed Law-Point-
Proceedings Before the Fire
Committee Last Night.

Lange, Page, +. G. Murphy, Crump. an,
Parrish; also, Chief Fuqui, CIty-Attorne,
Meredith, and Major Robert stiles and Mr.
Hin Carter, attorneys at law.
Before. proceedings were begun Mr.
Meredith, City Attorney, said that as h.
hzd been invited 10 be present he wished
TO say In reference to Mr., Gayles's removal
that be thought 1t possible the committes
did not bave the power 10 remove him. liz
read extracts from an opinion OF the Court
ci Appeals-Burch rs. Hlrdwick, %
Grat.-and gave 1t as his opinion that II a
fireman Is an officer OF the city, which he
apperred TO be under chapter @ OF City
Ordinances, the power TO remove was
placed by the Constitution Of Virginia In
the Mayor. and that 1t would be advisable
10 accept GayleS's resignation and not TO
pass resolution OF dismissal.
THE LAW.
Mr.. Meredith said the committee had the
power 10 remove ut any time any mere EN-.
p'oye, bat not person elected for fixed
time and who In this way became city
officer. IL Mr.. Gayle has not properly been
removed he can claim his salary. He wpnt.
d, too, TO be put on record as warning
tie committee, so that In ease OF a SUIT he
would not be responsible.
Chairman Kaufman said he thought the
committee had done it, duty. and he was
willing TO take the consequences.
CAPTAIN sYEAD's CASE.
The case OF Assistant Engineer Snead.
who was charged with general incompslen-
cy. was fret taken up.
Before anything was done Mr.. Hill Cur.
ter and M0jor Robert stiles, counsel for
Snesd, pr6lented the following piper:
81 respectfully Ialse the point and insist
thai your honorable committee has no
POWER TO remove or dismiss or discharge
me from my present uOsiti0n as Second As
sistaDt Engineer, or from the fire service OF
TIE city OF Richmond. + +. SNEAD."
This protest was laId on the table.
ANSWER.
The following answer was then present.
ed by Captain Snead:
To the Committee on Fire Department:
Gentlemen, Without raising the point
already raised as TO your power or jurisdic.
tion 10 remove or dismiss me, beg eiye
to submit the following answer to the
charges preferred against me by the Chief
Engineer bearing date the 2Gth day OF
May, 1887:
Before submitting my spec ic answer to
the iour specific itfms OF the charge, de.
sire 10 call atltn, on 10 the loose general
..Gtemcnts scattered loosely through thc
papeT-o. g.. that am "not what i con.
,ldt-od fair officer" - not treated os one
IN authority y; "do not know my dujie.."
nor "tbe importance Of prompnc -:
that "Iack proper efficiency" &c.. s..
In 80 far as il is possible or was cOntcm.
plated that such statements should he an.
sWcrod l here give them the only anSWe,
they admit oi--t5at is, | deny the truth o.
.cl and all of them, and confidently vouch
m, record OF nearly sixteen years in the
dep. rimont as tbeir all-suillcient rcfuta.
tiCn.
But doubtless the four specifications are
tfe cnIy portions OF the paper which were
intended TO be answered, these being, a, the
PIPER itsclf puts it. 'submilted as evil
Gence ci lis (myl inefliciency," and "men.
ton d % TO prove bis (my) lack Of proper
Knowledge Of the duties OF an officer"
II oeS without saying that these four iu-
stances were selected because they fur
nsbed the cie0rest "er.dence " and the
strongest "proof" Available OF the truth
blishod. As such ! Will now proceed 20
answer them in the order in which they
are stated in the paper served upon me,
and il ought not 10 be necesS .ry for me 10 say
that snswer, relying implicitly upon the
fundamental and universal ruie OF euligh,-
eptd procedure and o. fair play, that the
prosecution willDo be allowed 10 change
is ground" or" mend its bold; that hay.
A.. oil ,,I O..
trial upon these four specifications. ii shall |
be held and limited TO these alone. And |
now
1st. II is charged that failed to attend
IRE on Eighth street on the night of |
Mach 23d presumed 10 be 1857.
The charge is true; but All the ficts are /
rot stated. As the fire in question was not |
u my district ] infer that the charge is |
Jastd upon that provision OF the "rule. |
nd regulations 4" found on page % OF The
Manual which requires all the Assist.
mt Engineers 10 at end every alarm OF fire.
My answer or "eXeuse" for not attend
Dg on the occasion specified was not then,
IS stated in the charge, and j. not now, sln-
,ly that the fire twas so far of that did
lot think II nncesS9Ty TO come," but rather
hat 1t was and i thoroughly understood
broug hout the department that the rule
n order whose letter | had violated was
lot ore TO be observed or enforced " to
be letter." but Sin the spirit" And
here uphesitaiingly state, what every in
elligent man and officer Of the service
nows TO be true, that no Chief Engineer
bo has been Ia position siHce the rule was
made bas required the literal and universal
bsCryauce OF il. Indeed, ] am informed
nd believe that repeated violations OF it.
inee the 23d OF March, have occurred and
s.td UNI Oiiced by Chief FuQua, ana he
imstf has instructed the Assisteni En-
F. lCerS nOi TO feel literally bound by the
ulc bat it TcS.a rule 10 be observe
with discretion"
Yet, furtn"-, on the yerv occasion speci-
ed. when the Chief called NY attention to
avlng violated the rule, al once replied |
bat II he would then say that | was not tO
xerci.e my discretion in obseI wing or
epaTting from it, but always aud undcc
I circumstances to ob erYe and obey the
lle, would Of course do 50 but be very
romptly. end in my judgment very pro
trly, declined to give me any such in-
Tuction.
Gentlemen OF the Committee, canuot
oubt but that some OF yon at least have
ad your attention called to this matter,
I'D that those who lave concur in my
instruction Of the rule. / at this mo.
cot rec II the fact that some months be-
re the 23d OF March, when in the scl OF |
'pOrtipg for duty at the lire which oc-
lred at Dippner's Stables, corner Third
I'd Marshall streets, was directed bv your
,norable chairman, Mr.. kaufman, to re.
I'm 10 my own district, or rather not tn
ave II. When now, it 10 known that
e " fire on Eighth street" was really on
svy Hill, and where comparatively little
mage was likely 10 be done, and further
iowD, as fully stated 10 the Chief. that
actually started TO 20 10 II, and reached
,int OF obse walton whence could clearly |
c exactly where and what it was. and saw | !
at It was thoroughly under control aud
ling down, | have no fear but that the 5
eTcise o. my discretion on that occasion | Q
III be approved by your boroTable COM 0
ittee. 1t can scarcely be necessary 10 sug- T
st further that the rigid and literal
servance OF The order might result in 7
ncentrsiing the five general officers OF
c denarimert (lhe clerk OF the commit.
p belLg compelled ;S attend all fires and b
nhing ~ Ass.stlnt EpglreerL The Chief
d his four assistants, al q fiTe In Come eX. | I
me outline suburb. while alarms might
cur. as they have frequently done, simul-
leously in several other aud far distant :
arttrs OF the ely.
I'd. IL is cf arged that on October 2lst (pre. :
med to be lsS6), when an alarm was !.
rncd in at 1890 A. NJ. from Box f9-fire
1907 east Franklin street--i allowed the /, !
8 se.cart OF Steamer No. TO go to Box IL,
Infr Twenly.eighth and Leigh streets; |,
d that, being CONFRONTED with this grave :